Steam-superheater.



l. G. ROBINSON.

STEAM SUPERHEATER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-9.1915.

a SHEETS-SHEET.

FIGJ.

\HVEHTOK Pg TOKHEY 1. s. ROBINSON;

STEAM SUPERHEATER. APPLICATION FILED AUG-9. 1915.

' 1,299,038 v Patented Apr.1,1919.

3 shins-shank.-

J. G. ROBINSON.

STEAM SUPERHEATER.

APPLICATION man AUG-9. 1915 1 ,299,033. Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIG.3.

\HVENTOR' W Afio LY 2 men,

STEAM-SUPERHEATER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN GEORGE ROBIN- soN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, (whose postolfice address is Mere Bank, Fairfield, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Superheaters for Locomotive and other Fire-Tube Boilers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention consists in improvements in steam superheaters for locomotive and other fire tube boilers, and the invention has for its object to provide an efficient superheater of simple construction in which a relatively large number, or if desired all, of the smoke or fire tubes of the boiler contain superheater elements or pipes of U- form, the said fire tubes being all of a sizeconsiderably smaller than those heretofore employed for smoke or fire tube superheaters especially in locomotives, for instance the fire tubes employed in the superheater according to this invention may be only about 2% internal diameter as against about 4%" or 5" as heretofore usually employed. Further, with this invention, all the superheater elements or pipes are of relatively simple form involving no complicated bends, and if desired, all the superheaterelements relating to corresponding smoke tubes may be interchangeable. Further, the construction and arrangement are such that any individual superheater pipe or element which comprises two or more U-shaped portions extending into a corresponding number of the fire-tubes, can be readily disconnected" from the header or headers without in anyway interfering with or disturbing any other superheater element or pipe. Further, the headers are of simple construction such that the steam inlet and outlet ends of the superheater pipes can be readily secured to the header by expanding these ends into an integralwall of the header by means of an ordinary tube expanding tool, and these ends of the pipes can be-readily driven out and thus disconnected from the header by means of suitable tools without damaging the ends of the pipes. Further, the construction and arrangement are such as to give the maxi Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

Application filed August 9, 1915. Serial N 0. 44,588.

mum freedom of access to the ends of the fire tubes in the smoke box tube-plate for the purpose of cleaning, etc., without dis- -mounting any portion of the superheater apparatus.

Further features of the invention will appear from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a superheater according to this invention for a locomotive boiler, and in which:

Figure l is a front elevation, partly sectional, of a'superheater according to this invention applied to a locomotive boiler.

- Fig. 2 being a sideelevation of the smokebox end of one-half of the superheater shown in F ig. 1, and

Fig. 3 a sectional plan of the smokebox end of the superheater shown in Fig. 1.

Like reference symbols will be used to indicate like parts in the several figures, of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the boiler shell, 2 the smoke box shell and 3 the smokebox tube plate, 4: being smoke or fire tubes of the'boiler. The ends of the smoke or fire tubes 4 in the smokebox tube plate 3 are arranged in horizontal and vertical rows, in the example shown there being seven rows each comprising ten fire tubes, and one horizontal row comprising eight fire tubes, the fire tubes in all the horizontal rows being arranged in vertical alinement so that there are eight horizontal rows and ten vertical rows of fire tubes. Arranged vertically within and at each side of the smokebox is a header, preferably a casting, divided by a longitudinal partition 5 into two steam chambers, 6, 7, one (6) for saturated steam and the other (7) for superheated steam, both of which chambers are open and freely accessible at the side of the header adjacent to the smokebox wall on removal'of suitable cover-plates 8 adapted to be secured on the header in a steamtight manner. Suitable flanges such as 9 may be provided on the outer edges of the walls, including the above-mentioned partition 5, of the header, and screw studs such as 10 may be provided in these flanged portions 9 so that the cover-plates 8, provided with a correspohding number of holes, can be secured on the header by means of nuts such as 11 tightened up on the said studs 10 after the cover-plates 8 have been placed in position, In the wall of the header-op posite the side on which the above-mentioned cover-plates 8' a'r'e'provided, a suitable number of holes 12 are formed (corresponding in number to the number of'su perheater pipe ends to be connected to the header), these holes 12 being of a suitable diameter to receive the steam inlet and outlet ends 18 and 14: of the superheater elea: z'ig-zag manner or in staggered relation one to" another, and the holes 12, communicatingiwith the superheated steam chamber 7 are sirhilarly arranged, the arrangement of these holes 12 being also such that the holes into whicli' the saturated steam inlet and superheated steamo-utlet ends 13, 14 of an element or 'pipe are expanded lie in the same horizontal or transverse plane of a header;

The headers are, as above-mentioned, ar ranged vertically in" the smokebox one adjacent' to each sideof the smokebox and are seeu-i'ed to the"smoliebozrwall or plates 2 by means of" suitable brackets or flanges 16 preferably casting; and belts and nuts 17 the said brackets or 'flangeslfi being further preferably formed 'or arranged as shown so as to surround the header at the smokebox' wall and thus shield the cover plates 8' on the lieaderfrofli the smokebox gases thus avoiding: risk ofthe corrosion: of the" nuts 11 and studslo securing the said cover plates 8 to thehea'ders;

portion 18 0f each side of the smokebox wall 2 opposite the'lieaders, is made readily" removable" so" that access can be ea'silyhad' from: the outside of the smokebo i for removing the cover-plates 8 from the'fheaders and for inserting and manipulatin'gf the tools for expanding: the ends of the superheater pipes in the wall of the header" as' well as those for disconnecting the pipesv from the'hea'der; The'portions 18 are secured in place by screws 19 taking into the flanges 16 of the header. The plate? 18" which closes the opening in the smoke'box Wallis-curved to correspond with the contour of the side wall of the smokeboic, and it-fits in the opening in the side wall; so that" no objectionable projection is formed outside" the smokebox. The fasteningi flangelfi of the header projects laterally from" the: header, and is also curved to cor-' respond with the contour of thesmokebox side: wally and: forms a' shoulder around the openingfor the plateldto rest on, and provide's a dead-air chamber between the header and 'the plate 18, iii-which the cover plates 8 and their fastenings are located.

formed integral with-the header As above-mentioned, each superheater pipe or element isformedwith a number of U-shaped portions 20 each of which U- shaped' portions extends into a fire-tube 4 in the same horizontal row, the bends or Tor edo ends at the ends of these U- shaped portions adjacent to the lire-box being preferably arranged vertically in the fire-tubes so that the two longitudinal pipes in each fire-tube 4 lie one above the other in the. same vertical plane as shown.

Assuming, as above-mentioned, ten firetubesina-horizontal row of such tubes, each superheater element with its saturated steam inlet and superheated steam outlet ends connected to the header at one side of the smokebox may have its U-shaped por tions extending into each of five fire-tubes in the horizontal row while another superheater element with its saturated steam inlet and superheated steam outlet ends connected to the header at the-opposite side'of' the smokebox may have its U-shaped portions extending into each of the other five fire-tube'sin the same horizontal row. This construction and arrangement may apply to eachof the superheater elements or pipes in each horizontal row of fire-tubes.

Preferably, however, in the case of alocomotive boiler of ordinary dimensions, the

five fire-tubes of a horizontal row situated on one side of the vertical central plane ofthe smoke-box tube plate 3contain two superheater elements or pipes, as shown, the three outer fire-tubes containing one superheater element and the two inner fire-tubes containing another element, and the same applying to the five fire-tubes of the same row situatedon the opposite side of thev'ertical central plane of the smoke-boxtube plate.

The saturated steam inlet and the superheated steam-outlet end of eachFsuperheater pipe in the two vertical rows of smoketubes on either side of the vertical center line of the boiler at the smokebox end are bent laterally, as at 21, across thesmokebox tubeplate and by another bend are made to extend, as at 22, longitudinally of the smokebox, these longitudinal portions 22 being bent laterally so that the'ends' 18, 14" may be secured to the wall of the header as-abovementioned one behind the other when viewed from the smokebox door; The laterally bent portions 21 of the superheater pipes extend ing across the smokeboxi tube .plate may each be bent upward, at 23 as shown, where they spring from the longitudinal portions of the U-shaped pipes: 20'W113l1111' the smoke or fire tubes, so that the said laterally bentportions- 21 he in a planeabove and clear of the ends of the fire-tubes'in each horizontal row.

The saturated steam end of each of those elements lying in the vertical rows of smoke tubes nearer the boiler shell is bent slightly upwardly at 24 where it leaves the smoke tube and then runs longitudinally of the smokebox, parallel to the portions 22 above referred to, the end being bent toconnect to the chamber 6 of the header; the superheated steam end of each of these elements (except of those in the bottom horizontal row) are bent laterally as at 25, and longitudinally similarly to the ends of the elements in the inner vertical rows of smoke tubes, the laterally bent portions 25 being bent downwardly as at 26 where they spring from the longitudinal portion of the element in the smoke tube. The horizontal pipe connections25 between the loops 20 are arranged alternately in parallel planes with arelatively wide space horizontally between them. The pipe connections 25 are also horizontal and they are arranged intermediateof and parallel to the said pipe connections 25' in the said space which is wide enough to accommodate them'. In the case of an element in the outer smoke tubes of the bottom horizontal row, it will be seen that in the construction shown each such element only takes into two smoke tubes instead of into three as in the case of the elements lying vertically above it, and in the case of the bottom element in question the superheated steam outlet end of the element takes off the lower longitudinal portion of element in the smoketube and is bent slightly upward as at 27 where it springs from said longitudinal portion before being bent so as to extend wlaterally across the smoke box at 28, it then running longitudinally and being finally bent to the header as in the case of the other elements.

In the above-mentioned case in which five of the fire-tubes of each row of ten such tubes contains a single element or pipe with its U-shaped portions extending one into each of five of the fire-tubes, the above-mentioned lateral and longitudinal steam inlet and outlet portions of each element in the smoke box may lie in a horizontal plane above the respective row of fire-tubes, and horizontally bent portions of the elements or pipes connect in series the longitudinal pipes of the U-shaped portions of the elements in adjacent fire tubes at the smokebox end thereof, and these horizontally bent portions would be situated alternately above and below the axes of the fire-tubes.

011 the upper end of each of the abovementioned headers there is provided a tubular extension 29 which may slope or bend inwardly toward the center of the smokebox tube plate, and this extension 29 is provided with a suitable flange 30 whereby, through a fianged elbow pipe, or as shown two flanged elbow pipes 31, the saturated steam chamber 6 of each of the headers may be connected to the known T-pipe connection 32 and there-through with the wet steam pipe 33 of the boiler. For conveying the superheated steam from the superheated steam chamber of each header, an opening, provided with a suitable boss'or flange 34:, is provided in the side wall of each header facing the smokebox door and to this flanged opening a suitable steam pipe 35 leading to the cylinder valve chest of the engine is connected in the usual manner in which cyl inder steam pipes are connected to -'super-' heater headers. I

If desired, in order to balance the superheater, the superheated steam chambers of the headers may be connected by a suitable pipe.

While I have shown in the drawings and hereinbefore described a construction of superheater, according to this invention, in which all the boiler smoke or fire tubes receive loops of superheater elements, I wish it to be understood that the invention is not limited to such a construction, as if desired a number of the'elements may be omitted provided the number remaining are sufficient to give the required cross-sectional area for the steam? assuming for instance six of the elements shown in Fig. 1 be omitted these elements would preferably be taken from those in the outer vertical rows, three from either side of the boiler, and would preferably not be adjacent elements but alternate ones, so that the fire tubes not containing superheater elements are more or less evenly distributed in the boiler.

I would here point out that I am aware that a steam superheater for locomotive boilers has heretofore been proposed in which two headers arranged one at each side of the smoke box, and each having a saturated and a superheated steam compartment, were provided, each element taking into one enlarged smoke tube of a group of such tubes disposed among the boiler tubes, and such enlarged smoke tubes being arranged in parallel horizontal rows with the tubes of one row in vertical alinement with the tubes in the next, the ends of the elements being so bent in the smoke box that any element was removable without disturbing any other element; in connection with this proposed superheater it was suggested that the ends of the elements might be connected to the respective header by being expanded directly into holes in one wall of the header, the walls of the headers to which the elements are connected facing one another in the smoke box. I am also aware that a steam superheater for marine boilers has heretofore been proposed in which any individual element was removable without disturbing any other element, each element taking into a plurality of smoke tubes and lying wholly in a plane separate from the plane of any other element belongingto the same group of smoke tubes,

' Copies, 01 this patent maybe obtained for ments were connected to separatesaturated and superheated headers one arranged atone side; and the other at the other side of the group of smoke tubesto -the-elementsio which the said headers appertain.

What I claim' as my invention and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination, With a boiler having fire-tubes and a smokebox, said smokebox having an opening in its side Wall, ofa

v header arranged in the smoke box and pro:

vided With'an extension having a fastening flange which is secured to the smokebox around its said opening and which forms the main portion of a dead air. chamber, superheater pipes secured in holes in the inner side of the said header and extending Within the boiler fire-tubes, said header having openings in its outer side opposite the ends of the superheater pipes to afford access to them, cover. plates closing the said header openings and arranged in the said dead air chamber, and a closing plate for the said opening in the slnokebox Which completes the said dead air chamber.

meane t 2. The combination, with a boiler having n -t be a a. mo ebox; id s okebe having an opening. in-itsdside avall, offaheaderi arranged in. the smokehox and pro-.

vided with-an extensionhaving affastening ang WbiQ aiiS 'secu iitq t smokeboX aronnd -yitsgsaid, opening and Which forms the main portion of adead air chamber, said fl n e: i g," arrange e p rt a y P oj plate fitting in the said opening in. the

smokebox and 1 secured, to the i said shoulder of the fastening flange ofthe header, and completingthesaid dead air chamber.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature; in presence off two Witnesses,

GEORGE ROBINSON. nesses; 4 I i v f L EUSTACE H. BADKE, C. GROV S,

five i cent: each, by; addressing the f d einmisg ipner of ratentl, Washington, I 9,?" 

